The Block Australia: Your Ultimate Guide to Every Season

The Block has been on our screens here in Australia since 2003. And we still can’t get enough of it.

If you’ve ever wondered who won what season, the prize money they took home, or when certain judges came on board and left, this post has you covered.

Think of this as your ultimate factual guide to The Block. Below we’ll run through every season, giving you all the details you need to become expert in all things The Block.

Drop a comment below if there’s anything we missed, or if you have any questions!

The Block Season One (2003)

Landing on our screens back in June 2003, The Block’s first season was filmed in Bondi, Sydney. Hosted by Backyard Blitz frontman Jamie Durie, the series waded through thousands of eager applicants before narrowing down the pool to four couples.

Phil and Amity, Adam and Fiona, Gav and Waz, and Paul and Kylie battled it out to transform a set of derelict apartments in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. The cash prize in season one was $100,000.

The drawing of keys determined which couples would renovate which apartment; each fraught with its own set of unique issues. From termites to water leaks, horrible carpet to a launched singing career, The Block’s first season was packed with highs and lows.

Season one was light on judging, with John McGrath the only judge on the panel.

The teams all cleaned up on auction day, with some couples taking home more cash than others.

Season One Winnings

Adam and Fiona took home winnings of $256,000

Paul and Kylie cleaned up with a reasonable $152,000

Gavin and Waz scored winnings of $75,000

Phil and Amity took home the smallest win of $60,000

Notable Moments

Amity dropped the single Start of Something New toward the end of the first season.

Gav and Waz were noted as the first same-sex couple to appear on The Block.

Fiona appeared on the cover of mens magazine, Ralph, in 2003.

Since the Show

Amity has gone on to write for a number of websites including Mama Mia and Choices Flooring. She has also released more music since the show. After her debut album The Lighthouse peaked at number 6 in the Australian charts, she went on to drop True to Me in 2005.

Since the show, Gav and Waz have gone on to launch a successful wholesale interior art business called Designer Boys. They collaborate with artists across the world to create handmade pieces for the store.

Fiona and Adam released a book of renovating tips. Kylie and Paul run their own business.

The Block Season Two (2004)

Jamie Durie returned as host for the second season of The Block in 2004. The Nine Network chose to film again in New South Wales, but this time moved locations, securing another set of apartments in the Northern Beaches Suburb of Manly.

The formula was much the same, with four teams chosen from a huge audition pool of almost 20,000 people.

Jason and Kirsten, Andrew and Jamie, Matt and Jane, and Steven and Richard battled it out to win the cash prize of $100,000. Initial contestants Dani and Monique left the program two weeks into filming due to legal issues. They were replaced by Andrew and Jamie.

Judge John McGrath returned as sole judge in season two. Although ratings in season two were lower than that of the debut season, it was still considered a winner for the Nine Network.

Season Two Winnings

Andrew and Jane took home total winnings of $178,000

Jason and Kirsten took home $77,000 in winnings

Both Steven and Richard & Matt and Jane didn’t sell the apartments at auction.

Since the Show

Entering the program after Dani and Monique left the show was a stroke of luck for Andrew, who has gone on to become a successful TV personality.

He has appeared on Nine’s What’s Good for You, Channel 10’s The Project and The Living Room, and now appears as Channel 7’s national medical editor.

He has also appeared on radio, hosting a short-lived breakfast show with Claire Hooper in 2011.

The Block Season Three (2010)

Proving that a good rest can do wonders, The Block took a huge break between seasons two and three. Returning in 2010 and with Jamie Durie out of the host’s chair, the series travelled to Vaucluse in Sydney – with four teams on deck to renovate four apartments.

John and Nisha, Mark and Duncan, Erin and Jake, and Chez and Brenton battled it out to win the $100,000 prize money.

John McGrath returned as judge for The Block season three and was joined by then Belle magazine editor Neale Whitaker. Scott Cam took the reins as the show’s host and has remained at the helm ever since.

With seven rooms reveal rounds in total, Erin and Jake came out on top the most, claiming first prize for their guest room, main bathroom & laundry, and kitchen reveal. This, of course, did not reflect what happened on auction day in terms of who took home the most money.

Season Three Winnings

John and Nisha took home winnings of $305,000

Chez and Brenton sold after the auction and took home $90,000

Erin and Jake took home winnings of $87,500

Mark and Duncan went home with $47,000 in winnings

Since the Show

This season of The Block didn’t exactly catapult the teams onto great endeavours. There are a few exceptions though.

Erin went on to open her own interior styling and food prop styling business (see it here). Since 2010, she’s gone on to style editorial shoots, work on residential design projects and created a birth announcement app.

Mark and Duncan (known as the ‘Two Fat Tradies’) were the most popular duo to come out of season three, having later appeared in The Block All Stars.

The Block Season Four (2011)

The fourth instalment of The Block shook things up in multiple ways.

While Scott Cam remained as host of the show, Shelley Craft was brought on to host special challenges put to the teams. Shelley also hosted a weekly episode of the series titled The Block Unlocked, which took behind-the-scenes peeks at the completed rooms.

Other changes injected new life into the series. The format expanded, with six episodes airing across the week. The location also changed, as the show moved from Sydney to Melbourne. For the first time in Block history, four separate houses were to be renovated instead of units.

Eight couple were initially introduced but were reduced to four within the first week. Josh and Jenna, Polly and Waz, Amie and Katrina, and Rod and Tania all competed for the $100,000 grand prize.

Season Four Wins

Polly and Waz took home winnings of$115,000

Rod and Tania took home winnings of $72,000

Josh and Jenna took home winnings of $50,000

Amie and Katrina took home $0

Auction Highs and Lows

The Block’s season four auction was the worst in the show’s history, with three properties not being sold. Polly and Waz were the only team to sell, made an initial $15,000 profit and then took home the $100,000 cash prize.

In a sweet moment for the TV series, Josh proposed to Jenna after having been together for five years. They were also the couple with the most weekly wins.

Since the Show

Season four of The Block was a launching pad for a number of the teams.

Josh and Jenna have proved to be most successful, gaining an ambassadorship with Beacon Lighting and releasing their own range of lights. They also run business Bicker Design together and Jenna heads her very own design school.

Katrina Chambers has also been successful since season four of The Block. Not only does she operate a popular interiors blog, but she operated another successful business called The Media Maid for a number of years. It is currently taking a break from operations.

The Block Season Five (2012)

The fifth season of The Block aired in 2012 and stuck to a similar formula to the season before it. Scott Cam returned with Shelley Craft, while John McGrath and Neale Whitaker came back as judges.

The first week of the competition saw eight teams battle it out in an elimination round, in order to win keys to corresponding terrace houses. The houses sat side-by-side in the suburb of South Melbourne.

The remaining four teams who avoided elimination were Dale and Sophie, Mike and Andrew, Brad and Lara, and Dan and Dani. The cash prize was again $100,000.

Season five of The Block saw the welcome arrival of Shaynna Blaze to the judging panel. It also saw Darren Palmer make guest judging appearances throughout the season.

The teams progressed fairly evenly throughout the competition, with teams winning two or three room reveals each across the course of the season.

Season Five Winnings

Brad and Lara came out on top with $606,000 in winnings

Dan and Dani came second with winnings of $448,000

Dale and Sophie took home $355,000 in winnings

Mike and Andrew came in fourth with $434,000 in winnings

Since the Show

Dan and Dani are perhaps the most successful couple to have come out of The Block season five.

After the show, Dani went on to operate her own interiors blog, before signing on to co-host Channel 10’s Healthy Homes Australia. She and Dan also operate business The Red Door Project.

Dan has since become a regular on The Block, working as a foreman since season 10.

The Block All Stars (2013)

During the finale of season five of The Block, it was revealed that a special All Stars season was to take place in early 2013. Viewers were encouraged to vote for the couples they’d like to see return.

To celebrate 10 years since the show’s premiere, they took production to Sydney’s Bondi, where the first season was held.

The teams brought back for The Block All Stars were Phil and Amity from season one, Mark and Duncan from season three, Josh and Jenna from season four, and Dan and Dani from season five.

While Josh and Jenna won the most room reveals of the All Stars season, it was Phil and Amity who cleaned up on auction day – taking out the prize of $100,000.

All Stars Winnings

Phil and Amity took home winnings of $395,000

Josh and Jenna came in second place with $275,000 in winnings

Third place went to Dan and Dani with $220,000 in winnings

Mark and Duncan took home $25,000 and came in last place

The Block Sky High (2013)

Viewers didn’t have to wait long after The Block All Stars wrapped to get another season of the popular reno show. The Block Sky High premiered in May 2013, with the production returning to South Melbourne.

This time around, five couples were selected to renovate five levels of an old apartment complex. The five couples all originated from different states in Australia, which mixed things up from how they were chosen in previous seasons.

Alisa and Lysandra, Matt and Kim, Bec and George, Madi and Jarrod, and Trixie and Johnno all vied to win the $100,000 prize money.

Throughout the season, Alisa and Lysandra drew the most wins when the judges completed their room walk-throughs, coming first four times.

Come auction day, it was twin sisters Alisa and Lysandra who took home top prize.

Sky High Winnings

Alisa and Lysandra took home $395,000 in winnings

Madi and Jarrod came in a close second, taking home $291,000

Third place went to Matt and Kim, who took home $250,000

Bec and George came in fourth, claming $242,000 in winnings

Last place went to Johnno and Trixie, who took home $205,000

Since the Show

Both Alisa and Lysandra, and Bec and George, have faired the best in terms of success since their season wrapped.

Alisa and Lysandra operate their own interior design business, have collaborate with United Interiors on an artwork, rug and cushion range, and are also ambassadors for a number of other brands.

Since The Block All Stars, Bec and George have gone on to appear on a number of TV series. Bec operates her own blog, Bec Marks the Spot. The duo have completed a number of renovations and have worked on collaborations with Adairs.

Matt and Kim have appeared in their own series called Matt and Kim to the Rescue.

The Block: Fans vs Faves (2014)

Looking for ways to inject new life and viewer interest into the show’s eighth season, The Block returned with a Fan vs Faves season in January 2014.

The show pitched two teams who had previously appear on The Block against two new teams, considered fans of the show since its inception. Although there was a mix of new and classic Block faces, all teams were competing individually to win the $100,000 prize money.

As with previous seasons, the show was filmed in Melbourne. Albert Park was the suburb that housed the brick warehouse the teams were to convert into four luxury apartments.

All the usual suspects returned. Hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft came back, as did judges Neale, Shaynna and Darren.

Former Blockheads Alisa and Lysandra returned after appearing in the show’s seventh Sky High season, as did Brad and Dale from season five.

The two new teams to compete were Kyal and Kara, and Steve and Chantelle.

Kyal and Kara proved to be a forced to be reckoned with throughout the season. They secured top scores four times through the season from the judges, followed by Brad and Dale with three wins.

Although Chantelle and Steve only secured one win for their Living and Dining rooms, they cleaned up come auction day.

Fans vs Faves Winnings

Chantelle and Steve cleaned up with $736,000 in total winnings

Alisa and Lysandra came in second, taking home $616,000

Kyal and Kara came in third, taking home $567,250 in winnings

Brad and Dale came in fourth, with a still-impressive $507,250

After the Show

Kyal and Kara were the standout stars of The Block’s Fans vs Faves Season. After the series wrapped they went on to operate their own interior design and construction business.

They also renovated and flipped a number of homes, have appeared on Channel 10’s The Living Room, and have a long-standing ambassadorship with Beaumont Tiles, Mazda and more.

Chantelle and Steve split up not long after the series wrapped. Chantelle went on to operate the Ford Millinery, which makes custom hats.

The Block Glasshouse (2014)

The Fans vs Faves series that ran earlier in 2014 was just a taste or things to come. The Block Glasshouse premiered in July of the same year and produced some of the best rooms (and talent) she show has ever seen.

The shows two hosts, Scott Cam and Shelley Craft, returned. Neale, Shaynna and Darren also came back as the shows judges.

The series remained in Melbourne, but this time moved onto the affluent suburb of Prahrah. Its aim was to turn the High Street building into a set of luxury apartments.

Buzz had already started with word of former AFL plater Darren Jolly set to join the show alongside wife Deanne. They proved to be one of the shows most controversial couples.

Joining Darren and Deanne in the five-team competition were Michael and Carlene, Chris and Jenna, Max and Karstan, and brothers Shannon and Simon. The twist this season is that not only would the judges critique the teams’ rooms, but the teams would also judge each others.

Michael and Carlene came out on top four times throughout the season’s room reveals, with underdogs Chris and Jenna only winning one reveal. Despite both Michael and Carlene and Darren and Deanne showing signs off amazing design talent throughout the Glasshouse season, the controversial auction day turned everything on its head.

The Block Glasshouse Winnings

Brothers Shannon and Simon came in first with winnings of $435,000

Chris and Jenna came in second, winning $310,000

Max and Karstan only cleaned up an unfortunate $40,000 win

Both Darren and Deanna and Michael and Carlene took home $10,000

Since the Show

A number of contestants from this series of The Block have gone on to enjoy great success.

Deanne operates her own design business and her and Darren have renovated and flip a number of properties. One of which you can see here.

Shannon Voss has gone on to operate design business Voss Creative and is a regular expert contributor for Inside Out magazine.

Michael and Carlene have gone on to operate Cedar and Suede; a home renovation and design consultancy service. They have also worked with brands such as DecoRug and Lorraine Lea. Carlene also writes for publications such as Domain and Open Colleges.

Max and Karstan have gone on to renovate and flip properties.

The Block Triple Threat (2015)

The tenth season of The Block kicked off in January 2015 and the competition was tougher than ever.

Not only did six new teams battle it out to secure three spots on the show, but ex Blockheads returned to grab the fourth spot.

Darren and Deanne from The Block Glasshouse beat season 7 duos Bec & George and Kim at Matt to secure their place in The Block Triple Threat.

The three new teams to compete in the show’s tenth season were Josh and Charlotte, Tim and Anastasia, and Ayden and Jess.

The show’s hosts Scott and Shelley returned, as did judges Neale, Shaynna and Darren.

In a surprise return to the show, Dan Reilly came back as the show’s ‘foreboy’, under the guidance of the show’s experienced head foreman Keith Schleiger. During his time away from the show, Dan became a qualified builder and has remained on the show in his role ever since.

Renovating an apartment block in Melbourne’s South Yarra, the teams had mixed success week-to-week. Overall, Darren and Deanne were most successful, receiving top marks from the judges in four reveals. Tim and Anastasia only secured one win.

Apart from the regular judges walk-through, the season also featured room judging from three real estate buyers.

After the Show

Apart from going on to compete in Reno Rumble, Ayden and Jess have an ambassadorship with Highgrove Bathrooms.

Tim an Anastasia have not gone on to pursue a career in design or media.

The Blocktagon (2015)

The eleventh season of The Block retained everything that was already working for it. Both hosts returned. All three judges returned. The production stayed in Melbourne, as the couples worked to renovate a former hotel in South Yarra.

After reports that rating were on the decrease during this show’s tenth season, the producers decided to take a back-to-basics approach in its Blocktagon series.

Not only were the number of episodes reduced, but the length of each was also cut down. The teams were not given tradies this season, which was a dramatic change from all the seasons before it. Eliminations were also removed.

The teams to battle it out for the $100,000 prize money were upped to five. Kingi and Caro, Andrew and Whitney, Suzi and Voni and Dean and Shay were cast. Luke and Eboby, who were eliminated in the early elimination round the season before, returned for the entire eleventh season.

Dean and Shay were by far the standout couple. They came out on top after five room reveals and also cleaned up at auction.

The Blocktagon Winnings

Dean and Shay took out a whopping $755,000 in winnings

Luke and Ebony took home winnings of $640,000

Third place went to Kingi and Caro with $405,000 in winnings

Andrew and Whitney took home winnings of $390,000

Suzi and Voni came in last with winnings of $349,000

After the Show

Luke and Ebony took their winnings and poured them into their own separate business. Luke was reported to have opened a business called Allure Landscapes and Construction, while sister Ebony runs interior styling studio The Visionary Co.

Shay and Dean went on to build website The Wild Creatives after the show wrapped, but do not look to have done much since.

The Block 2016

The 2016 season of The Block didn’t hit screens until August. Everyone from the previous seasons returned (hosts and judges), and the $100,000 prize money was also up for grabs.

Staying in Victoria, the production moved to an old soap factory in Port Melbourne, with apartments split across multiple levels of the heritage listed building.

The five teams were made up of Will and Karlie, Dan and Carleen, Julia and Sasha, Chris and Kim, and Andy and Ben.

Design talent was strong and steady in this season, with four of the five teams each winning three room reveals each. Andy and Ben were definitely considered the underdogs of the season and only took out one win for their guest bedroom and walk-in robe.

Season 16 Winnings

Will and Karlie came out on top with winnings of $815,000

Julia and Sasha came in second, taking home an impressive $660,000

In third place were Dan and Carleen, taking home a win of $525,000

Andy and Ben came in fourth, scoring a win of $510,000

Last place went to Kim and Chris who took home $425,000 in winnings

Since the Show

Julia and Sasha have gone on to open their own design business called Abbey Collective, which is launching shortly.

As yet, it doesn’t appear as though other teams from The Block 2016 have established themselves in the world of interior design, renovating, or the media.

Keep coming back as The Block 2017 is landing soon and this page will be continually updated!

Outside of writing the TLC Interiors blog, Chris is an interior stylist and author. You can also catch him on your TV screens as a designer on Channel 10's Changing Rooms. If you'd like to book a design consult with Chris, you can find out more here

Comments (1)

Chris

Terrific and concise wrap up thank you. Gosh some of those couples bickered a lot, But they all got through it. Wasnt aware some couples got nothing, but some got a 2nd chance.